Quagmire

After a decade of concern about illicit drugs, ecstasy is cheaper than ever and much easier to procure in the nation’s capital cities, the head researcher of a study of nightclub patrons has said.

“The cost of an ecstasy tablet has fallen from about $70 in the mid-1990s in most of the major capital cities to about $30-35 now,” said Dr Cameron Duff, the director of research at the Australian Drug Foundation. “Allied to that, we’ve had a significant increase in the availability of these substances in the community.”

Dr Duff’s findings are confirmed by research on party drug trends, conducted by the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre. Only 3 per cent of those interviewed in a recent study of ecstasy users reported the drug to be difficult to purchase. In contrast, 80 per cent said it was easy, or very easy, to buy.

The national survey, of more than 800 regular users, showed friends were the primary source of drugs – a significantly more common point of purchase than dealers.

The only way it could get any cheaper is if it was included in the PBS.